NAIROBI, Kenya – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has condemned the violence and destruction that marred Wednesday’s nationwide protests, describing the events as “an orchestrated campaign of terror disguised as civic expression.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, Murkomen said the government would pursue the organisers and financiers of what he termed a premeditated and politically instigated assault on the nation.
“What unfolded yesterday was not a protest. It was terrorism disguised as dissent,” said Murkomen. “It was deliberate. It was coordinated. It was funded.”
The protests, held in memory of more than 60 people killed during last year’s anti-Finance Bill demonstrations, had been largely peaceful in many parts of the country before pockets of violence erupted—particularly in Nairobi, where protesters clashed with police and looting was reported in the CBD and surrounding areas.
Murkomen said that at least 10 people had died and over 400 were injured, including nearly 300 police officers.
He cited widespread damage to public and private property, including the torching of five police stations, destruction of 88 police vehicles, and looting of government offices and private businesses.
“Businesses worth billions of shillings were looted,” he said. “Even infrastructure like roads, railway lines, and electricity were vandalised.”
The CS added that firearms had been stolen from police armouries in some of the targeted stations, including five weapons from Dagoretti Police Post and others destroyed at Gachui in Kiambu County.
Call for Regulation, Investigation
Murkomen announced that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had launched a probe to arrest those behind the violence.
“No person will be spared regardless of their political or financial status,” he declared.
He also proposed the introduction of a legal framework to regulate public demonstrations, saying it would help distinguish legitimate protest from criminal activity and guide police deployment to safeguard lives and property.
“We must ensure that demonstrations are not happening in areas that inconvenience traders, businesses, and Kenyans who do not wish to participate,” he said.
Despite condemning the violence, Murkomen acknowledged that some protests were peaceful, pointing to demonstrations in Mombasa that were conducted “with defined routes and timelines” under police supervision.
He urged young people and civic groups to engage the government through dialogue rather than disorder.
“We welcome dialogue with all stakeholders, including the youth, civil society, traders, and religious groups,” he said. “Kenya’s strength lies in our unity. To those who seek chaos, our resolve to protect our motherland is unbreakable.”
